The Lagrangian Point
by WriterPoet
Summary: -Post Eclipse- Life never seemed so far away. Death never seemed so welcoming. Edward had never played Russian Roulette with such high stakes before, and Bella never wanted him to pick up the gun in the first place.
1. Preface

The Lagrangian Point

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Disclaimer: Twilight and all relating characters are property of Stephenie Meyer. 

Story Notes and Warnings: Please read this as it will be posted with additions and changes often. This story is currently rated **T**. If there is a change in rating, you will be informed one chapter ahead. If you would like me to respond to your review, please put response at the top of your review. I will respond via private message. Please enjoy and I would like to hear from you!

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PREFACE

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He lay on the table, unmoving. 

It was strange - this feeling. It was not quite fear, nor did it fit into the dark realm of apprehension. It wasn't sorrow because I could not feel the tightening of the vise wrapped securely around my heart. It definitely was not happiness; happiness was the sensation I got when Edward's presence surrounded me.

This was not the same.

His presence was here, but it was faint. It would have been unrecognizable to a normal human, but I could feel it. It throbbed unevenly, slowly, magically. It was like a ballad of his human life, playing on his internal piano.

"_If there were any way for me to become human for you - no matter what the price was, I would pay it._"

A bitter laugh escaped my parched lips. Edward would have narrowed his eyes at the inevitability of this situation.

Here I sat, a monster, and my angel was sacrificing his immortality for me.

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Next Chapter: Proposals 


	2. Proposal

The Lagrangian Point

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Disclaimer: Twilight and all relating characters are property of Stephenie Meyer.

Story Notes and Warnings: Please read this as it will be posted with additions and changes often. This story is currently rated T. If there is a change in rating, you will be informed one chapter ahead. If you find a major mistake, please inform me. Thanks.

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1. PROPOSAL

* * *

I could hear the butterflies' painful cries as they died in my stomach.

My mouth opened to complain. Abruptly, as though someone had poured water down my throat, the burning feeling of fear in my stomach was extinguished. In its place an odd feeling arose and small tidal waves of serenity washed through me.

I silently mouthed my thanks to Jasper who sat at the table.

His proximity wasn't surprising. I remember the first time he had stood beside me. It was about three weeks ago, when I felt the urge to learn about him and the ways of a newborn vampire. I convinced myself that that was the reason I wanted to talk to him.

He used to seem so unapproachable and that fueled my curiosity. As outlandish as it was, I truly wanted to understand his desire for human blood. I had been around the other Cullens for so long and their ever-growing immunity to the smell grew on me. If I was going to become a vampire, I wanted to see how the process progressed through the eyes of someone else. Jasper was that someone else.

Sometimes I wondered if he could see through my innocence. He did not like to upset Edward, and his frequent ill at ease glances gave me the impression that he knew what I was digging around for. Although, in hindsight, my questions were dull and redundant, he never appeared to mind my endless interrogations. I concluded that he was learning from this, too; the aura of his self control must have been strengthening as time passed. That was the only reasonable explanation (that I could conjure) for his willingness.

He knew that I was thankful for his help, and he mine. Ever since then our relationship was steady and I noticed that he always referred to me as one of the family.

That idea was exhilarating, but it brought me back full circle. I was about to be a part of the family, but I hadn't told Charlie or Renee yet ...and I was about to tell the former.

The painful tentacles of fear returned with even more force. I couldn't help it; disputing whether or not this was the right time to tell him comforted me, and I tended to grab onto the edges of anything helpful.

Jasper sent me a worried glance as the waves overtook my fear once again. I could feel the side of my lip twitching as I stood up. I bit down hard on my inner cheek in hopes that the two vampires wouldn't notice my edginess.

"Don't pace, Bella. You'll become more agitated." 

Alice's soft voice held an edge to it that caused my feet to stop before they even begun pacing. I turned helplessly toward her, a frown gracing my lips.

"Alice, tell me what he'll say," I pleaded, my voice shaking despite my effort to sound somewhat demanding.

I looked into the wide depths of her eyes. The gold smoldered under her lashes as she sighed. I noticed her lips as I ventured down her face. They were pulled down into a stricken expression.

I knew it._ I knew it!_ I knew that he wouldn't accept my decision with grace. I knew it, yet I offered myself the false comfort in knowing that he could accept it with grace. Something must have given away my thoughts because the next words that were said were not calm.

"Bella, calm down!"

I looked desperately at the source of those words. Alice was now standing, and although she was vertically challenged, her height still intimidated me. She was now dancing - no, not dancing because dancing would admit that was being graceful in her steps, and that certainly was not the case. She was stalking towards me, her expression unreadable as she neared.

My gulp was audible as she stopped before me. I looked down at the crown of her head; her short hair was always nice. I deemed her hairstyle to be the perfect distraction and I began scrutinizing it as she stared at me.

I did not want to break the tension. The fear in my stomach was waiting for an opening, and I knew that being reprimanded would provide that necessary opening. So I waited.

" ...I can't." Her voice was a hush and I failed to hear it over the wild drumming of my heart.

"Pardon?"

Alice looked up me and I took the new opportunity to decipher her expression. She was torn, that much I could tell. Déjà vu blasted my senses at that moment, and I instantly recognized that look from before.

It was when she was blind. It was when Victoria and her vampire minions wreaked havoc on Seattle. She was unable to predict anything without questioning it. She grasped the idea that her ability was diminishing with great fear. It was like we were in the middle of a battlefield with no weapon in our arsenal. During that time, I came to the sad realization that I depended on their supernatural abilities far too often.

And I also realized that I enjoyed pointing out all of my selfish tendencies.

If that wasn't depressing enough, the Cullens figured out how someone was able to elude her predictions. It was uncomplicated - just keep changing your mind. Although it takes great concentration to pull something as easy as that off, Victoria had time. We hadn't had time grace us with its presence.

After that battle was over and life was back to normal (well, about as normal as things could get with werewolves and vampires mingling with humans), they had to live with knowing that Alice had a weakness ...which meant that it was possible that they all had weaknesses.

Without warning, her soft voice brought me out of my realizations.

"As long as you keep changing your mind I can't see anything," she admitted sourly.

I felt a tad bit guilty. Even though my intentions were not to hurt her - they were merely to blanket me with comfort - I knew that I had.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, patting her head for good measure. She flashed me that soft reassuring smile that I loved and danced back to her seat at the kitchen table.

I looked over to Jasper who seemed amused by the whole situation. His smile, rather crooked like Edwards, also reassured me as I leaned against the kitchen counter.

The cool marble sent a shiver through me, but I did not tremble. Instead, I focused on a dent in the wall's surface. Maybe if I searched for it, I could find the meaning of life.

I sighed. This was getting nowhere. I was becoming paranoid. Charlie was only called for a disturbance a few blocks away. I thanked God for the interruption because it gave me time to prepare, but now I felt that it was just sending me further into indecision.

Surprise echoed in my throat as I turned to find Alice once again in front of me, her hand already pulling on my arm. I was made painfully aware of her icy grasp as she pulled me toward the living room. Despite knowing that she meant to do no harm, I attempted to twist my arm to escape. I was rewarded for my efforts with a forceful tug, and I knew that the area in pain was going to bruise.

Alice ignored my mewling protests as she set me down on the couch. She snatched the remote too quickly for me to notice, and the television made itself known with loud commentary from ESPN baseball specialists.

"Barry Bonds! Whoa, Nelly. Finally, after months of anticipation, he has broken the record for all-time career home runs formerly held by Hank Aaron. What a glorious day!" The first announcer was clearly in ecstasy, openly letting all the fans know about what he thought of this occasion.

I, obviously having no interest in sports, did not understand. I suppose that only Y chromosomes would enjoy this raw commentary, since no girls around Forks seemed to take a liking into it. 

Alice, now by my side, stared at the television with interest. I raised an eyebrow.

"When did you have such an interest in sports?"

"It's not that - look."

I turned my scrutiny back to the television screen just in time to spot Phil's face. My lips curled into an 'O', and I was about to comment on it when a knock on the door sidetracked me.

It was Charlie. He tended to knock before he let himself in somehow figuring that it scared me when he came in unannounced.

His entrance put a frown on my face; I was not ready. I looked to Alice in a last-ditch effort for her aid, but she simply nodded her head as if answering some question I hadn't even thought of yet. She stood up gracefully, grabbing my hand which was now pulsing and bright red.

I glanced down and smiled weakly. My nerves were now officially fried. I couldn't believe that I was holding onto the sofa for that long and with that much force. The imprint of my small hand was so deep that I probably could have used it as a cup holder.

She led me to the front. Charlie stood in the sun-lit pathway, nudging off his police vest with one hand while shoving his car keys into his pocket.

"Hey Bells," he greeted, and I could hear the remnants of his last grunt in his voice. Was he hurt?

"You OK, dad?" I tried for light chat, frantically skimming through the pages in my mind for anything interesting. Delaying was my best option if I wanted to even try to explain anything to him without giving myself away.

He eyed me curiously as he bent over to put his shoes in a cubby. "Yeah, don't worry about it. Some kids just got into an argument. Children these days, quarrelling over the most trivial things."

"Uh-huh," I agreed, my voice still a little shaky.

"So what's up?"

He trudged to the kitchen and I followed him, hoping to stay in tune with his actions. If even he grunted at the wrong moment, I would consider my mission a failure and exit the premises before planting the bomb.

Instead of a grunt, a gasp and then a 'hum' of approval escaped his lips. In the kitchen, Alice and Jasper sat, hands intertwined on the table.

"Hello there."

"Hello, Charlie," Alice sang.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Swan." Jasper used his authoritative army formality when speaking outside of the Cullen family.

I looked down, respectively sending them glares. They were not being very helpful. Noticing a slight change of orientation in my peripheral, I pivoted, smiling innocently at Charlie.

He peered at me strangely then. "Bella, mind explaining what's going on?"

How do you start when explaining that you are going to get married to that boy your father despises, way too young, when you are not even wearing the ring?

I stared blankly at the floor. This was much harder than I first presumed it would be. Originally, I had this blurred plan laid out in my head. This was before the fear leaked out. After that, my blurred plan turned to mush. It was kind of like what my backbone was doing right now.

"W-well, you see," I started, "there was this time and ..."

"She's engaged, Mr. Swan."

"Oh."

That sound of acknowledgment and comprehension echoed menacingly in my head. Oh? It was more of an involuntary reaction than a logical response - something that was programmed into the minds of sport-loving fathers. Currently, it was a painful reminder of someone I missed.

Edward.

That was his type of reaction. It was his words that plunged much deeper into my heart than yelling and screaming. I despised that type of response with every fiber of my being; I preferred the jabs at my insecurities and the problems with my decisions than the monotonous replies that accompanied his stricken expression.

I tucked some strands of loose hair behind my ear and steeled myself. I was already in the hole, so was it so bad to dig my grave?

"Yes, Jasper's right." I sighed. The ring to the confirmation was surprisingly sweet in my ears.

Ever since he proposed, I had not taken the time to really absorb it. I was going through many other problems which turned out to warrant much more of my attention than the trials of matrimony. Now, with those problems set aside temporarily (the Voltori), and burned (literally Victoria), the blatant force of it came crashing down.

Although Alice had kindly taken time out of her busy schedule to subdue me and offer her assistance, she never actually mentioned how terrifying the thought of settling down was. I'm sure Edward had already settled down in his own way, but the same could not be said for me.

I breathed out heavily through my nose, and this was when I noticed how loud my breathing was. It was eerily quiet in the room and my uneven breaths were amplified by the oath of silence that Alice radiated. I wished that I hadn't told her to keep her mouth shut before we arrived here. Her help was needed now.

"Charlie," - it was the disobeying voice that I longed to hear – "before you try to ground Bella for life, hear me out."

He looked at Alice furtively, his expression guarded.

"Bella is an adult now, and she is mature enough to make her own decis –"

"Stop."

Three pairs of widened eyes, mine perceptibly wider than theirs, stared at my father. He enjoyed interrupting Edward because he could, but the way he mumbled that one word to silence Alice sent ice through my bloodstream.

I was as good as dead. The mantra repeated itself, over and over, chanting, with high spirits, the immediacy of my death.

I could see my gravestone:

Isabella Marie Swan

Loving daughter to perceptive Renee Swan and homicidal, overprotective, police officer Charlie Swan.

She will be missed by a vampire family and a werewolf cult.

How lovely.

"Bella, Bells!" A hand was shaking furiously in front of my eyes, and, shaking my head and still dazed, I locked gazes with my father. "I'm happy for you."

"Of course you'd be happy; you're the one who always dreamed of a life for me without Edward!" I growled and ignored his confused grimace. "I knew you wouldn't underst - wait, what?"

He chuckled. It came from deep in his chest and I knew that it was a genuine laugh. It was my turn to be confused.

"Ha ha," I quipped.

"I guess I deserve the sarcasm. It's my fault that you'd assume that I wouldn't take the news graciously. If it was under other circumstances, you're right, I wouldn't have." He paused, glancing at me to see if I was following. I clearly wasn't. I was becoming more confused. He continued regardless. "But I know how you feel. I was your age when I asked for Renee's hand in marriage." His eyes were thoughtful and it seemed that he was reminiscing more than explaining.

"I was the one who jumped into it, and Renee was so innocent. She couldn't resist my charm. But the connection wasn't as strong. She fell in love with love while I fell in love with her. It was destined to fail, but I don't regret any of the decisions made." He smiled at me. "The thing is that ...the connection you two share is unbelievable. It's so potent." He looked at us warily.

"No, no, please continue," Alice whispered breathlessly, her voice hopeful. Jasper was silently observing Alice's reactions. He was probably tucking this new information away for future use and abuse.

"Society can label you however they please, but you'll always be my Bella."

"Even under a different maiden name," he added quickly.

"Oh, Dad!" I squealed, stumbling forward into his arms. He caught me expertly, like he had training in the field, and twirled me around in the small kitchen. He was careful to ensure the safety of my dangling legs as he carefully set me down.

"Excellent!" Alice clapped her hands together.

"Hold on. I may be happy, but that doesn't mean I approve."

I balked at him. He gave us such a wonderful speech that touched my heart, and now he was going to stamp conditions on it?

"Hear me out, Bells." He looked at me as though what he was about to say was embarrassing. "How much is this wedding going to cost?"

Alice laughed. I laughed, but for different reasons. Her laugh was an oh-my-what-a-stupid-question! laugh, while mine was more of an oh-crap,-I-never-thought-of-the-price laugh. He could hear the nervousness in my voice.

"Don't worry, Charlie. That's my responsibility," Alice said.

"How?" he bit out.

"Well, as the planner, I plan to make this wedding amazing. The cost is not going to be a problem."

He snorted. "But –"

"No buts!" Alice grinned. "Just don't go back on your word."

"Right ..."

Jasper sat silently, frowning because he knew what was coming.

"Hmm." Alice thought for a moment, and then she shifted over to me. "What type of wedding do you want? A white wedding maybe? Or even a weekend wedding? That would be so great! The itinerary would be filled with spa treatments for the ladies and a golf tournament for the guys. There should be a carriage instead of a car, because carriages are so romantic. A white horse or a black one? White, white, that would be so nice. Italian food is nice to serve, or even Chinese. Wait ...this should be a hand fasting. Those are so interesting and symbolic. Yes ...I can see it now."

And she really could see it, but Charlie didn't take the literal meaning into consideration. He stared intently at her, seemingly fascinating by how easily consumed she could be with any subject.

"Have you told Renee yet?" he interrupted.

Alice smiled mischievously, her eyes focused on me. "No, but we were about to."

He was surprised. "You're going to Florida_ now_?"

"Is that a problem?" I hissed, my voice hiking upwards, reaching anger.

He chuckled. "No, that's not a problem ...not for me, at least. If you thought I was going to take some convincing, wait till you ask her."

I groaned. This was interesting. I assumed that Charlie was going to be hard and Renee was going to accept it with open arms. It felt strange to be proven wrong when I thought I knew my parents inside out.

"We'll take our chances," Alice replied, already beside me with Jasper.

"Go ahead. Tell Phil that I'll be watching for a win."

That reminded me of something. "Oh, you know Dad, that guy just got seven hundred and something home runs."

His eyes bulged. "Barry Bonds?"

"Yeah."

He took this opportunity to act surprised. "And I missed it?! Bells, make some popcorn for m –"

I glared at him.

"- Nevermind, I'll just read the instructions." He glanced at the microwave patronizingly. "...OK. Have fun."

He hurried us to the door and we soon found ourselves outside. As soon as the door shut, I was shoved toward the car.

"Alice, why?" I growled.

"Why what?" She replied innocently.

"You know what I'm talking about. You knew he was going to accept, yet you played along! Why?"

"The story was interesting. Don't tell me otherwise. You know you enjoyed it."

I huffed. Some members of the Cullens were so confident that it was scary; more so than the fact that they were vampires.

Jasper smiled and nodded his head in agreement, and then we were speeding toward the airport.

* * *

Alice and I were soon there, waiting impatiently to board the next flight to Florida. Jasper had long since left us with the car, wishing us luck and promising to tell Edward how it went with Charlie. If it wasn't for the cloud of uncertainty that loomed over my immediate future, I would be happy and looking like someone who was excited to leave this town for a while. I doubted I looked like any approachable being: my hair was disastrous, my clothes crushed, and my eyes had the luminosity of a broken light bulb.

I was frowning …well, I was pretty sure I was frowning since Alice looked at me worriedly as she placed a hand on my back to usher me forward in the line. The surprise on my face was very obvious as I heard the woman checking our things greet us lightly. Were we not just down about 20 meters in line? Was I that far down in my own thoughts that I failed to even notice my surroundings?

I sighed and Alice spared another worried glance at me.

"Bella, c'mon, we're ready."

We followed the directions on the wall and soon found ourselves seated in the appropriate rows. I scanned the area; it was quite nice. It was this realization that caused me to gasp and glare at the woman grinning beside me.

"Alice!"

She cocked her head to the side, fingers placed gently on her lap and eyes looking as innocent as a child who stole money from the jar on top of the fridge.

"Don't try that one. You know that we didn't need first class tickets."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, had you been more observant you would have noticed that your ticket was registered for first class. Too late to change it, I'm afraid. How unfortunate."

I glowered at her. She could be so counterproductive at times.

I fixed my eyes to a spot a few feet in front and to the left of us, but kept my voice to a level where only she would hear. "Preventable, yes. Unfortunate, not this time."

Her eyebrows rose in question and she thought about my response for a second. I continued to stare at my person of interest and, slowly, Alice caught on. She turned and stayed in that position for a moment.

"This is interesting," she mumbled to herself before shifting her attention back to me.

I regarded her warily; nowadays, she found nothing exciting. If it wasn't for my bride's maid proposal, I would go on believing that she had no capability of being surprised at all (excluding the visions she so often received.)

The plane was already in the air when a question struck me.

"How come you don't notice some things, Alice?"

Peering at me strangely, she replied with a defeated tone in her voice. "We're not all God, Bella."

"I mean, couldn't you have predicted that he was going to be on the same plane as us?"

She laughed. The sound was lovely but I couldn't quite grasp the mirth. She tended to laugh at strange questions I asked and I was left to wonder what it was that sounded awkward, out or place, or painfully obvious. Like every other time, as I replayed my last question in my head, anything that seemed even remotely funny eluded me.

Her laughter slowly died and her lips set in a hard line.

"Think about it. Do you think I could handle it if I could see the future of everything?"

It seemed much different when phrased that way. I thought of Edward - his ability enabled him to read the current thoughts of others, yet I never asked if he heard everyone's. I knew that once he concentrated, the other thoughts were blotted out; not stopped, but as though they were smothered so one person could speak above all the noise.

Questions raided me at that moment. Was Edward scared the first time he heard those voices in his head? Did he get a physical sensation or was it all psychological? Did each voice have its own distinct tone or pitch?

More questions unleashed the curiosity within me, and I found myself pursing my lips when I thought of something else.

"We're not all God ..." I repeated, but not in the sarcastic tone she used earlier.

My logic was leading me to strange places, and I felt the urge to tell someone before it receded to the crevices of my one-track mind. This didn't happen often. My mind didn't usually send me a surge of revelation unless it deemed it important. And this seemed vitally important ...something I would need later on for reasons beyond my knowing now. 

The plane had been in the air for a short while, but I still felt grounded. The seats rumbled softly under us. We had experienced some turbulence earlier, and it felt strange actually feeling my body vibrate. The last time I was on a plane, Edward had readily read the pilots' minds and held me tightly when the plane rumbled and shook, sometimes violently. Alice wasn't quite as gracious. She sat across, eyeing me and waiting for me to continue my nonsense.

"You believe that you're human, right?" I asked hesitantly. I knew it was a touchy subject for her since, while human, people were reluctant to accept someone with her 'problems' into their society. They had shunned her, tortured her, labeled her, and condemned her. At one point she must have questioned her life and her existence.

"Why?"

I pursed my lips. "Well, say that you didn't believe, would you try to change back into one?"

Her expression momentarily side-tracked me. I must have unlocked some bad memories because she now looked as if she was about to lash out on the chair in front of her.

"No."

I decided to stop it there. She felt like a vampire just now and that was surprisingly scary.

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Next Chapter: TWINS.

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Revised & Edited: March 21st, 2008.


	3. Twins

The Lagrangian Point

* * *

Disclaimer: Twilight and all relating characters are property of Stephenie Meyer.

Story Notes and Warnings: Please read this as it will be posted with additions and changes often. This story is currently rated T. If there is a change in rating, you will be informed one chapter ahead. If you find a major mistake, please inform me. Thanks.

Author Notes and Warnings: Ah, I'm sorry for taking so long. And I know this chapter is short and probably confusing, but I do hope you enjoy it because I'm working on the next one! Thank you for reading and reviewing.

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2. TWINS

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The airplane landed half an hour later, and Alice skipped off the plane while I followed lamely behind. I looked like a dog who had just lost his bone, and my body felt like it was losing bones by the minute. I needed to see Edward, but I was miles away and without my wallet of Edward pictures.

I don't know why, but everything seemed so _depressing_. I turned to look at the McDonald's, and Ronald stared back as though he was plotting a terrorist attack. Even Burger King's crown looked like it was made of broken glass.

"Alice, come here and look at Burger King," I mumbled. No one responded. I looked around and I saw people (great observation skills), but not Alice.

I stood there for a moment thinking that she would materialize if I stayed in one position, but after five minutes people were staring as though I was a lost cause.

It was then that I decided to ask around, and then grab the bags and wait for her by one of the exits if asking turned up no luck.

I pursed my lips and took cautious steps forward, afraid that I would slip and fall or crash into someone I couldn't see. Sitting for such a long time takes a toll on the body, and I could feel the pulling and strain of my thigh muscles as I wobbled towards a young man dressed in the Airport Security uniform. If he had seen her, he would probably know where she went.

I approached him and he turned in my general direction. His eyes widened dramatically and my brows furrowed. Was there something on my face? My chest? My legs? Did I look that disheveled? I cursed inwardly; he didn't have to be so obvious about it. Subtle hints or maybe a whisper would be sufficient. My frustration level quickly rose as I neared, and I opened my mouth to greet him when I felt my legs give way.

Scrawny fingers grabbed hold of my thigh, but those too were brought down by the force of gravity and I soon found myself tumbling forward with at least eighty pounds on my back. My hands jutted out to catch my fall, but the little bag I was carrying went forward along with my hands and I closed my eyes tightly and prepared to kiss carpeted floor.

I let out a surprised squeak as the wind was knocked out of me. Huffing and slowly opening my eyes, I noticed the position I was in. My body must've been forty five degree angle. This either meant that I had gravity defying abilities or someone with great balance was holding me. To my dismay, it was the latter. My eyes quickly matched its gaze with that of a little boy.

His gaze stunned me.

His eyes were so familiar. They were the brightest shade of gold I had ever seen - much brighter than any of the Cullens or a member of the Volturi. They captured me, held me in, and grabbed at the edges of my thoughts surrounding Edward. Ever so quickly, I was brought out of reality and into the realm of the illogical, the unbelievable, and the impossible. This was a place that I had been brought to several times before and had become accustomed to. This was a realm where characters that seemed to only exist in fiction novels were given shape and thought.

This boy was not human.

He must have realized that something was off because he smiled at me and pushed me lightly so that I was vertical to the ground. The eighty pound thing that nearly gave me a concussion was now standing beside the boy who saved me.

I must have been seeing things. They were identical. One was tugging his ear, and the other had a gash across his forehead.

And there was no blood.

I mumbled something. Then I fainted.

* * *

I awoke in an unfamiliar place and panic set in almost immediately. I hadn't the faintest idea of where I was or could be, and the fact that I was comfy and could only hear the light thrumming of a machine nearby suggested that I wasn't at home.

Several feelings hit me as I opened my eyes. First was disorientation; next was confusion. The white ceiling spiraled into a void in the centre and vibrant colours sprouted and encircled the expanse of my sight. I wondered briefly if someone had drugged me, but the ceiling's presentation seemed so enticing and it was inviting me to reach out and stroke the ribbons of colour that I left that thought to dissipate amongst others. As I contemplated reaching for the surreal, I realized what implications my fleeting thought from before brought about.

Was I the victim of a kidnapping? I couldn't remember much. It hurt too much to try to think back to before the present time, and I figured that doing such a thing would cause the tangling ribbons to stop their sultry dance. But the thought didn't recede. Instead, they gained a tangible body and yelled, demanding my attention. I could not ignore it - it was just as annoying as Alice had the potential to be when she wanted her way.

I sprung up to survey the area. Then I cringed. Searing pain tore at my spine, and I slumped back down into the soft covers and the comfort of the pillow. I stared at the ceiling (hoping against hope that the colours would return) while I waited for the pain to cease, but instead it fell to a dull throbbing that was even more inconsistent and unexpected. I breathed out deeply and slowly brought a hand up to hover above my face.

My fingers, in my line of sight, distributed the light that brightened the room and the bandage wrapped around my wrist became more pronounced. It was darkened with splotches of blood but that was not what caught my attention. Slightly puncturing the skin, only partly protruding from its confines under the protection of the bandage, was a white object. The point where it touched my skin tingled and when I experimentally stretched my fingers to their full length it stung.

It aroused my curiosity and I reached for it with my other hand. When my thumb and index finger clamped down to pull it free, the door opened. In less than a second, my arm was tugged roughly away from the object. I winced, but the surprise overpowered the pain. I glanced at where the tooth 

was. Correction: where it used to be. I narrowed my eyes and turned, about to scold Alice for treating my frail body that way, but the words died in my mouth.

If female beauty could weaken the best of men, then it also applied to women like me with no exception.

She instantly reminded me of Rosalie, but this beauty was no comparison. It was the type that awoke all senses with its mere presence. This beauty was pure; it did not come from surgery or the constant use of products. It radiated confidence and I was drawn to it. I wanted to caress her prominent cheeks. If I wasn't nearly immobilized, I would have done so.

I must have looked like an idiot because she sent me the most bemused expression before backing up slightly. Even her smirk pulled me farther down into infatuation. My lips parted in preparation for words - most likely praise -, but nothing came. I simply stared at her smiling eyes. They were the most exotic shade of green I had ever seen. They couldn't have been contacts. They seemed like ...like the eyes Edward could have had.

"You are very perceptive." Her lips slowly curled into a smile and she took a step forward to lessen the space between her and the bed. She bent over, her slim fingers grasping the bed's rails and, reaching forward, she grabbed my chin.

The action caused a surge of dizziness to overwhelm me and I blinked twice to regain my line of sight. My eyes tended to conk out when my body was under pressure, and right now that simply was not an option. This woman was intimidating. Her presence alone must have frightened people. Who would want to be in the same room as her?

Certainly not me, but I was.

I flinched and attempted to escape her hold, but my head was unable to move as her eyes pierced mine. Her fingers were cold. There was no way they could have been normal body temperature. Her finger slowly ran over the prominent bone above my cheek and I shivered. She seemed to take pleasure in my fear.

"It is my nature to feed off of the emotions of others, Girl. Among other things."

She had three sentences now that I didn't understand. As of yet, I barely managed to string two coherent words together, never mind form a sentence. How could she respond to anything if nothing was said? Unless ...

The woman snapped her head to the right so quickly that I wouldn't have noticed if it was not for my tendency to overly admire beautiful people. She released her hold on my head and I cocked it to the side slightly. A young boy stood at the entrance, scowling fiercely as he shoved a hand through his curly hair. His hair was just as perfect as hers. It shone so intensely that I had to restrain my hands in order to not reach out and steal a precious lock.

I now had the opportunity to look at the woman who nearly gave me a heart attack simply by being in the same room. She could not have been more than thirty. Her skin looked like porcelain and it seemed to emit tiny beacons of light. She probably did not have a fondness for make-up, and I didn't blame her. She could turn the heads of everyone on the street even if she just woke up and walked to the store. Her hair was up in a perfect bun save for a loose curly piece that formed a long bang in front of her eyes. Even her clothes radiated her beauty. She must have had something equally expensive under the long black fur coat she wore. A long chain that wound around her neck cascaded down her front and it hung right in front of her bosom. Dangling from the chain, the words _like mother, like daughter _glittered in the light.

I looked up and almost gasped when I found her staring at me again. She smiled.

I watched her leave the room. The woman must have signaled to the boy because he nodded and tugged on his ear. After she turned down the hallway, he approached the foot of my bed. He squatted down until I couldn't see him, and then he suddenly leapt. I looked like a deer in the headlights as my head followed him up and then down. He landed softly on the rail, his hands grasping it. He was in a crouching position and the way he did such an act with ease was slightly disturbing.

He looked me up and down and nodded appreciatively. I didn't quite comprehend; I was wrapped in a blanket up to my chest and the rest wasn't exactly pleasing to the eye. I swallowed the condescending words arising in my throat and spoke softly.

"Who are you?" And why are you so beautiful?

The boy grinned at me. He glanced behind him before performing a strange acrobatic move that had him back on his feet in less than a couple of seconds. He walked to the side of my bed and sat in the chair the woman previously occupied.

"Luke."

"Well hello, Luke. Is your brother all right?" The question asked itself when I realized that this boy was the one who saved me earlier.

He smiled. "Mhm, he's quite the fighter, so don't burden yourself worrying about him. But I must ask what have you been eating lately? To have broken my dear brother's tooth – ah, it brings back human memories."

He must have seen the expression on my face because he let out a quiet laugh, mature and soft. I had so many questions to ask him, many pertaining to his manner of speech and his age, but that fact that I left that disaster with a tooth lodged in my skin gained my attention faster.

"Is that what that woman took from me?"

He raised an elegant eyebrow, replying, "Oh, Katherine? It certainly seems so, since she rushed past me earlier with such a determined face." He paused for a moment, staring at me intently, and then continued. "And it seems you have many questions for a boy who doesn't act his age. Shoot away, madam."

Now I was really confused. I tried to string together some sentences in my head just so that I didn't sound like an idiot when they came out, but my brain failed and my mouth started moving.

"Are you a vam – no, no. How old are you? You seem old, but you can't be because you look like you're five. Oh, that came out wrong - sorry. I feel dizzy - really dizzy. Is there a place I can sit? Or stand? Aren't I already lying down? Why would I need to stand? Aha …"

He leaned over and pulled the sheet closer to my head.

"Go to sleep. It's just an affect of the poison," he whispered as he stepped back and headed towards the door.

I nodded my head slowly, agreeing, and closed my eyes.

* * *

Alice told me that I had been sleeping for over a day, and that she was by my side most of the time. She seemed to be in a worse condition than me; she kept a frown on her face as she gave me some water, and would always talk to me under her breath, as if we were being watched.

Her face was static when I explained what I could remember of Luke and his brother, and that Kathleen or Katherine lady. I asked for her opinion on it.

"Bella stop worrying. I'll tell you what I think when you're feeling better."

Apparently I was feeling better because the doctor came in a few minutes later and announced that I was discharged. I asked him what my injuries were, and he listed them off smoothly as he read the paper.

"Just a few bruises, ma'am. We just had to clean out a wound that was caused by an unknown object – no one likes an infection." He smiled coldly at Alice, and she let out a dry laugh. "The reason you were here for so long was because you kept losing consciousness, but just a lack of food and dehydration can explain that."

"No poisoning?" I blurted. Both Alice and Dr. Keran (as it said on his name tag) sent me an odd look.

"No poisons were found during testing, Ms. Swan."

I nodded dumbly and he smiled at me (probably wondering if it was a good idea to let me out now) before he left. Once we were alone, Alice turned to me.

"Poisons?"

"Luke said I wasn't feeling well because of poison."

I stared at Alice to gauge her reaction, but she revealed nothing.

"The doctor said you're fine so let's go."

We grabbed our things in the Airport and left, grabbing a taxi and heading towards our hotel.

The remainder of the trip did not make me feel any better. I felt like I was being choked as I sat beside Alice, and that deepened my guilt.

When we got there, I called Renee and told her where we were. She was ecstatic of course; it was in her nature to be that way. Unfortunately, her lovely voice worsened the headache I got on the ride here and I felt as though I was going to bring up the contents of my stomach. Alice noticed this and brought me to the bed.

"Really, Bella, stop worrying so much." She rolled her eyes and that was enough to confirm my suspicions.

She was annoyed at me - that much I could tell. Yet, knowing that I gave her more than enough reason to be upset, I still felt like this was partly her fault too. I could not explain why I felt that way but deep down, somewhere that I couldn't reach, somewhere opened when Edward was missing from my life and closed when he returned, it laid in wait.

I wanted to know what this all meant; what I was talking about - where this was coming from, but it was as elusive as it was on the plane. It taunted me - whatever _it_was. It grabbed at the edges of my memory, calling me forward, whispering, and then it disappeared, fleeting, gone.

Something was definitely wrong with me.

I mixed a sigh and a grunt as I turned myself over to lie on my stomach. I could feel Alice's eyes on my back as she stood at the edge of the bed, pulling up the sheets to make sure that I was locked down. A smile ghosted over my lips and everything was momentarily forgotten as I drifted off to sleep.

Alice must have said something, because I responded with a yes as she placed the phone beside me.

Then I was gone to the place that was beyond everyone's grasp, including Edward.

* * *

Next Chapter: PHONE CALLS.

* * *

Revised & Edited: March 21st, 2008.


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